Chapter 18: New Ally in Class

I couldn’t believe it.

James and I were comparing our schedules. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. It was like something out of a bad movie—each of our free moments perfectly offset by the other’s busy periods. It felt almost comically improbable, yet there it was, staring back at us in black and white on our screens.

What were the chances?

I glanced over at James, and his expression mirrored my own disbelief. It was as if the universe had decided to play a cruel joke on us, keeping us apart despite our best intentions.

“It’s like we’re living in alternate realities,” I muttered.

James nodded in agreement. His brow furrowed in frustration.

“Yeah,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.

We sat there, staring at our conflicting schedules. How were we supposed to make this work? How could we nurture our relationship when our time together seemed so scarce?

But then, as the initial shock began to wear off, a determination stirred within me. If our schedules were going to keep us apart, then we would just have to find a way around them.

“We’ll figure this out,” I declared. I tried to inject some optimism into the situation although James was usually the positive one. Deep down, annoyance simmered within me like a pot about to boil over. And from the way James’s drummed his finger on the table, I could tell he felt the same.

“I know, it’s frustrating,” James admitted, his fingers going still. “But we’ll find time to hang out somehow. Even if it’s just on the weekends.”

We could make this work. We could.

If there was one thing James and I were good at, it was finding creative solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.

“We could try scheduling regular date nights,” I suggested. “Or maybe we could meet for lunch during our breaks.”

James’s eyes lit up at the suggestion.

“I like the sound of that,” he said. “And we can always make the most of the time we do have together, no matter how short it may be.”

“That’s right,” I agreed. Then I looked at the time. “I need to go.”

James kissed me. “Enjoy your first day. Let’s meet up afterward.”

“I look forward to it.”

We went our separate ways on the first day of classes. James headed off to his anthropology lectures and I made my way to the computer science building. My heart beat faster and I felt warm.

I walked into my first class along with some other students. I instantly recognized a girl, pondering over her textbooks, by her blue hair.

“Hey, Charlotte,” I said, sitting down next to her.

“Keily! I didn’t realize that we have mathematics together!” She put her pen down.

“Neither did I,” I said, pulling out my books. “You’re early today.”

“I like to have a few extra minutes to mentally prepare before class starts,” Charlotte explained. “And you’re early too.”

I must have been overexcited. My eyes scanned over the empty seats in the room.

“Looks like the professor isn’t even here yet,” I observed.

“Guess we’re a bit too eager,” she remarked. “But hey, at least we won’t miss anything important.”

As we waited for the class to begin, Charlotte and I took the opportunity to compare our schedules for the semester. To my surprise and delight, we discovered that there were a few crossovers between the robotics and computer science programs. It seemed we would be seeing a lot more of each other in the coming weeks.

“Looks like we’ll be spending quite a bit of time together,” I remarked.

“Definitely. It’ll be nice to have a familiar face in class. I didn’t really have many friends in high school.” She bit her lip as if she regretted telling me something so personal.

“How come?” I asked.

“I guess people didn’t really like me,” she said, looking down. “I was bullied and labeled a nerd.”

That struck a chord within me. I hated bullies. And I could relate to how terrible they made one feel.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.

“Well, maybe they were right. I am a nerd. My GPA was 4.0.” She rolled her eyes.

“Charlotte! That’s amazing!” I praised her.

She grinned and energetically drummed her fingers on her desk. “I also earned a full scholarship into MIT.”

“No-freaking-way,” I said, taking my pens out of my backpack. “Screw those bullies for trying to put you down.”

She laughed. “I like you, Keily.”

“I really like you as well,” I replied and opened my book.

We were going to be fast friends. I just knew it. The classroom quickly filled up with students, but none of them had hair as cool as Charlotte.

Then the professor walked into the room. A wave of casualness seemed to follow him, setting a tone quite different from what I was used to in high school. He scribbled “Prof. John Reyes” on the board.

“What’s up guys, I’m John,” he said.

It was very different from the formal titles like “ma’am” or “sir” that I had been accustomed to addressing my high school teachers with.

I glanced over at Charlotte, and it was clear from the intrigued expression on her face that she, too, was taken aback by the professor’s casual demeanor. We exchanged a brief look of surprise before turning our attention back to Professor Reyes as he began outlining the course.

“Alright, folks, welcome to Math 101,” Professor Reyes began, his tone easy-going yet authoritative. “I’m here to make math as painless and enjoyable as possible for you all.”

I already enjoyed math…

“I’d like to emphasize the importance of collaboration and group projects, encouraging us to work together to tackle the challenges ahead,” he said.

It was then that Charlotte and I exchanged a knowing glance. I just knew we would team up. With Charlotte’s impressive academic record and my own enthusiasm for the subject, I was confident that we would make a formidable team.

Math ended and the rest of the day flew by.

I found myself missing James at every turn. Our schedules were out of sync. I didn’t see him in the hallways. I didn’t see him in the classes. I didn’t even see him on the university grounds—although he was here. Somewhere.

When break came I headed to the cafeteria. As I scanned the crowded room for a familiar face, my heart fell when I realized that James was nowhere to be found. Sighing to myself, I joined the line and quickly grabbed a sandwich and a bottle of water, my thoughts lingering on the missed opportunity to spend time with James.

I decided to text him.

Keily

I’m at the cafeteria. Can you meet me?

I finished my sandwich and drank the whole bottle of water, but there was no reply. I headed to my next class. Then the next. Only then did my phone vibrate. Frustration bubbled inside of me, but I didn’t pull my phone out during the lecture. I waited until after class.

James

I was in class. But heading to the cafeteria now.

Forty-five minutes had passed since he sent that text. By now, he’d most likely have finished his lunch break. I decided to text anyway.

Keily

Are you free now?

To my surprise he texted back immediately.

James

No. How about we grab dinner tonight?

My last class went until nine o’clock. That was late for dinner, but I really wanted to see James.

Keily

9:15 pm at the campus diner?

James

See you then. <3

The day went by fast and, before I knew it, James and I were having dinner together. We swapped stories about our first day. I noticed that James seemed to be in higher spirits than before, his laughter more genuine and his smile brighter.

“Charlotte and I have several classes together,” I stated. “Did you make any new friends?”

“I met some people,” James said.

As we delved into our meals, we compared course syllabuses and discussed the different projects and assignments ahead of us.

“It’s going to be a busy semester,” I remarked, taking a sip of water as I glanced over our syllabuses.

James nodded in agreement. “Definitely. It’s going to be tough, but I know we can handle it.”

I thought about the challenges of balancing school, a social life, and our relationship. I felt like there just wasn’t enough time for everything. Which meant I’d have to make time—I would just have to get up earlier in the morning or go to bed later at night.